


Before It's Too Late

by IndecisiveAndUncreative



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, M/M, it's just sad, there is no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 01:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16567358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IndecisiveAndUncreative/pseuds/IndecisiveAndUncreative
Summary: Derek doesn't have much time.What he has, he uses to call the one person he loves more than anything.





	Before It's Too Late

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Sterek fic! Woo!
> 
> You'd think I would've started out with something a little happier??
> 
> Written at 3am. Unbetad. All mistakes are mine.

_This was not how this was supposed to go._ Derek thought.

Pain invaded his enhanced senses. He was bleeding steadily from the wound in his stomach. He couldn’t move, arms and legs like lead and his heartbeat ricocheting in his head.

He had walked into a fight he shouldn’t have and was woefully unprepared. Stiles was right, ninjas “are totally a thing, Derek.”

Katanas bit into him during the fight and he fought back as much as he could with his claws. He had his hand around the last one’s neck, claws sinking in, when a final blow sliced through his abdomen. His hand closed on reflex, killing the man, but the damage was already done. The wound wouldn’t have been that big of an issue if the katana blades weren’t soaked in wolfsbane.

His current situation found him lying on the ground, sweating, trembling, gasping as the poison seeped through him. He knew there was no way out of this one, not this time.

With a shaky, blood-stained hand, he fought his phone from his pocket and brought it next to his face. A few taps to the cracked screen was all it took to get it ringing. Derek couldn’t decide if he’d rather have the call answered or sent to voicemail.

“Hey, dude,” Stiles picked up on the second ring.

“Don’t call me ‘dude,’” he replied on reflex, cringing slightly. That definitely wasn’t how he wanted to start this call but, at the sound of Stiles’ responding laugh, he guessed it wasn’t too bad.

“What’s up, man? Miss me?” he chuckled.

“Yeah.” Derek’s voice shook. Whether with the truth of his statement or the pain, he couldn’t tell. Stiles had been off at college for a few months now and Derek almost drove up there a few times just to see him. Now, he regret every single time he didn’t. The best he had now was Stiles’ contact picture, which he had been staring at since the call connected. It was the only picture of the two of them where Derek was genuinely smiling but Derek’s only looking into the whiskey brown eyes of the man in the picture with him. "Yeah, I do."

There was a pause at the other end of the line, Stiles clearly surprised by Derek’s answer.

“You okay? You sound a little winded,” Stiles finally spoke again, redirecting the conversation. “Getting in a workout before bed?”

Derek moved his head as much as the growing nausea would let him and surveyed the bodies and blood around him. “Something like that.”

“We have massively different night time routines,” Stiles laughed. “I just finished brushing my teeth and you’re getting in, like, 500 push-ups or something else equally ridiculous.” Derek heard shuffling on the other end. Soft cotton pants moving against crisp sheets, Stiles getting in bed, laying down, shifting to get comfortable.

“Stiles, I-” his stomach spasmed and he bit back a whimper, disguising it by clearing his throat, but nothing could hide the tears at the corners of his eyes. He had to get out what he wanted to say, what he needed to say. He was running out of time.

“Yeah?”

Fear stopped him again. The what-if’s, questioning whether or not Stiles really needs to hear this, whether this is the right thing to do with the time he has left. He summoned every ounce of courage he had in him and, as a tear fell, he finally said the words he should’ve said months ago.

“I love you.”

Stiles' breath froze in his chest and Derek heard his heart rate pick up. “Holy shit,” Stiles whispered.

“I’ve been wanting to tell you for a little while now,” Derek explained, “and I just couldn’t keep it from you anymore.”

“Well, I’m glad you told me.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Stiles voice was getting softer, like he was about to tell Derek a secret, “because I- uh- I love you, too.”

Tears flowed freely down Derek’s cheeks. The man he loved, loved him back. In that moment, every bit of pain and regret was drown out in waves of happiness. Stiles loved him.

They laid there without talking for a minute or two just listening to each other breathe. Derek did his best to hide how ragged and labored his breathing had become. The poison had encircled his lungs and heart, now branching up his neck. He didn’t have long but he was fighting to hold on, clinging, fang and claw, to the time he had left.

Stiles was the one to break the silence with a yawn. “Listen, I have an early class tomorrow but,” his voice was soft again, “I’m really glad you called.”

“I am, too. It was nice to hear your voice.” _One last time._

“I’m coming home to visit this weekend. Maybe we can hang out?”

“I’d like that.” Derek squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to staunch the fresh flow of tears but without luck. It was difficult to tell if the lump he felt in his throat was due to the poison in his veins or the tears in his eyes.

There was a smile in Stiles’ voice when he spoke again. “Alright then, Sourwolf. I think it’s past both of our bedtimes.”

Derek couldn’t help the watery smile at hearing the nickname.

“I love you, Derek.”

Derek took one last look at those whiskey brown eyes before the poison stole his sight.

“I love you, Stiles.”

Call ended.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyone else need some tissues?
> 
>  
> 
> Any kudos and comments are much appreciated! Come find me on [Tumblr](http://tiredoffeelinglost.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
